Safety antitilting device for elevators



G. B. DAVIS.

SAFETY ANTITILTING DEVICE FOR ELEVATORS. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 21, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

J/VUENTUE' 5501755 B. m U15 Patented 3111168, 1920.

G. B. DAVIS. SAFETY ANTITILTING DEVICE FOR ELEVATORS.

AP FLICATION FILED NOV. 21. I918.

Patented J 11110 8, 1920.

2 SHEETSS HEET 2.

MINI-55157:-

GEORGE B. DAVIS, OF CALGARY, ALBERTA, CANADA.

SAFETY ANTITILIING DEVICE FOR ELEVATORS.

Application filed November 21, 1918.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, GEORGE E. DAVIS, a citizen of the United States of America, and resident of the city of Calgary, in the Province of Alberta, Dominion of Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety Antitilting Devices for Elevators, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in safety anti-tilting devices for elevators, particularly adapted for use on goods elevators and others carrying heavy loads, and the objects 0f the invention are to eliminate accidents, in loading or unloading during which operations the goods are shifted over the deck or floor of the elevator and exert a leverage thereon, to permit of the deck or floor of the elevator being positively maintained in the proper plane, so that as the load is shifted on the deck or floor from the central point thereof, and the said load acts about the central point of the deck as a fulcrum and tends to tip the floor, such tipping will be prevented from taking place and the deck or floor will be held in position best calculated, to permit of loading and unloading being carried out with rapidity, convenience and safety.

Further objects are to permit of the improved device being readily attached to elevators at present in use, and generally to adapt the several parts to better perform the functions required of them.

iVith the above and other objects in view the invention consists essentially of the improved construction particularly described and set forth in the following specification and accompanying drawings forming part of the same.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of an elevator embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the same.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the deck or floor of the elevator as seen when looking upwardly.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged vertical section of the female guide member attached to the deck of the elevator.

Fig. 5 is a transverse section of the male and female guide members of the elevator.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevation of the deck of an elevator, showing the means for automatically releasing the curvilinear lever.

Specification of Letters Patent. Pgmqgnted Jung 8 1921} Serial No. 263,638.

Like characters of reference refer to like parts in the several figures.

Referring to the drawings A represents an elevator comprising a deck 10 provided on the lateral edges with female guide members 11 which are checked or cut away on the inner face as shown at 12, so that a shoulder is formed which engages with the lower face of the said deck.

The outer edge of the female member 11 is provided with a groove 13 which slidably engages with the tongue 14 of the fixed male guide 15.

A plurality of male guides are used arranged on opposite sides of the deck 10 being secured to the elevator shaft or floors of the building in a suitable manner.

In the embodiment illustrated the deck 10 is provided with a hydraulic piston 16 operated from a suitable source of power whereby the deck is lifted or lowered as will be made clear hereafter.

The elevator may be constructed to operate between two or more floors and each floor above the ground floor is provided on the under face, adjacent to the well or shaft of the elevator, with a pair of brackets or bearings 17, in which the shaft 18 is rotatably mounted.

This shaft is provided at its inner end with a curvilinear lever 19 adapted to coact with one of the female guides 11 of the deck 10 and the shaft is further provided with a crank arm 20, which is located between the bearings 17.

It should be observed that the curvilinear lever 19 operates in such a manner that it engages with the upper edge of the adjacent female guide member 11.

On that end of the well or shaft of the elevator remote from the lever 19 a plurality of hearings or brackets 21 are provided which rotatably support the shaft 22 formed adjacent to one end with a crank arm 23 which is operatively attached to the crank arm 20 by means of the rod or link 24.

The shaft 22 is provided intermediate of its length with apair of curvilinear arms 25, designed to coact with the under face of the deck 10.

When the elevator is operating between two floors only, that is to say, the ground floor and the first floor, then it is not necessary to provide any means for disengaging the curvilinear lever 19 from the female guide 11, but if the elevator is operating between more than two floors then a rack 26 is provided which is attached to the female guide member 11 and an intermeshing cog wheel 28 is rotatably supported on one of the male guide members.

This cog wheel 28 is rigidly attached to an eccentric disk or cam 29 which engages the inner or under edges of the curvilinear lever 19, so that when the elevator proceeds beyond the first floor the cog 28 will mesh with the rack 26 and rotate the disk or cam 29, which in turn rotates the curvilinear lever 19 about its fulcrum point and disengages the said lever from the female guide member 11, and thus permits of the elevator continuing its journey.

A flexible member 30 is connected at one end to the crank arm 20, and then passes over guide pulley 31, the free end being provided with a balance weight 32, whereby the crank arms 23 and 20 are rotated to permit of the curvilinear arms 25 being disengaged with the underface of the deck 10, as the elevator returns on the downward. journey.

The assembly of the several parts will be readily understood by the foregoing description.

lVhen this elevator is in use and heavy articles are being transferred from one floor to another of the building then during the operation of loading or unloading the elevator the load will exert a downward force on a point of the deck remote from the center, so that theload will act around the upper end of the hydraulic plunger 16 or overhead cables, as in the case of electric elevators as a fulcrum tending to tilt the deck, causing the male and female guides tobind and in many cases resulting in accident.

By the use of my device tilting of the elevator deck 10 cannot take place, since when the deck 10 is at the first floor the curvilinearlever 19 engages with the female guide member 11 as shown in Fig. 1 and when the load is being placed on the deck 10 at that end remote from the said lever, any tendency of the load on the deck fulcruming about the upper end of the hydraulic plunger 16 or overhead cables, as in the case of electric elevatorswill be'overcome or ba lanced by the said curvilinear lever engaging the female guide member 11 or arm attached to deck 10, as the case may be and so prevent tilting of the deck. a

At thesame time at which the curvilinear lever 19 engages the female guide member 11, the curvilinear arms 25 engage with. thelower face of the deck l0adjacent to the edge at which the load is taking place, so that a double support of deck is obtained which prevents tilting. of the same.

When the elevator has been loaded and starts on its downward journey the balance weight 32 acting on the flexible member 30 will draw the crank arms 23 and 20 rearwardly and as the deck lowers the curvilinear arms 25 will be rotated out of contact with the lower face of the deck thus allowing the elevator to proceed on the downward journey.

If the elevator is operating between more than two floors, then the intermediate floors between the ground and the top will be provided with the automatic releasing means illustrated in Fig. 6.

When the elevator is, passing the first floor, the cog wheel 28 will engage with the rack 26 androtate the cam 25) to throw the curvilinear lever 19 out of engagement with the upper edge of the female guide member 11, so giving clearance between the said lever andguide member and permitting of the elevator continuing on its upward journey.

If the elevator is of small dimension only i one set of apparatus such as is above described need be used, that is to say one curvilinear lever 19, female guide 11, (or arm attached to deck 10), two bearings 17, shaft 18, crank arm 20, link 2 1, crank arm 23, rack 26, cog 2S, cam 29; but if elevator is large, in order to prevent sagging at the stress corner of deck 10, where curvilinear lever 19 is engaged, then another set of the apparatus just described, consisting of curvilinear lever 19, etc., should be installed along the opposite lateral edge or side of the elevator Well or shaft, and that side which is directly opposite the side already equipped.

In case loading or unloading the elevator at either end is desired (as above is unloading or loading at one end only) then a full and complete set of above described apparatus must be installed at either end.

' From this description it will be seen that I have invented a safety anti-tilting device for elevators which can be advantageously utilized on the goods elevator of warehouses, garages and like buildings in which heavy merchandise is being transferred from, one floor to another, and whereby the movement of goods can be carried on without any fear of accidents happening due to any tilting of the elevator deck and binding of the guides and other coacting parts an objection likely to happen in elevators at present in use and not equipped with a device such as I have disclosed in my specification.

7 As manychanges could be made in the above construction and many apparently widely different embodiments of my invention within the scope of the claims constructed without departing from the spirit or scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the accompanying specification and drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What I claim as my invention is} 1. A safety anti-tilting device for elevators, comprising a guide member carried by the elevator, a lever designed to overlie said guide member, a pair of arms engaging the underface of the deck of the elevator, and means for simultaneously actuating the lever and arms.

2. A safety anti-tilting device for elevators comprising a guide member on the elevator, a curvilinear lever designed to coact with said guide member, a pair of curvilinear arms at the opposite end of the elevator designed to engage with the underi'ace of the deck of the elevator, link means connecting said lever and arms and means for retracting the said levers and arms.

3. An anti tilting device for elevators comprising a guide member carried by the elevator, a lever carried by a fixed pivot and designed to overlie said guide member, a cam for releasing said lever, and means for automatically operating said cam.

l. A safety anti-tilting device for elevators, comprising a guide member on the elevator, a lever designed to engage therewith, crank means for operating the lever, a pair of arms engaging with the underface of the deck of the elevator, crank means for operating the said arms, and link means connecting the said crank means.

5. A safety anti-tilting device for elevators, comprising a guide member on the elevator, a curvilinear lever adapted to engage with said guide member, crank means for operating the lever, a pair of arms engaging with the underface of the deck of the elevator, crank means for operating the said arms, a link connecting the said crank means, a flexible member connected to one of the crank means, and tension means acting on the said flexible member.

6. In a safety anti-tilting device for elevators, the combination with the elevator deck of means carried by the elevator wall for engaging the upper face of the elevator deck at one side to prevent tilting when load is applied to the opposite side.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE B. DAVIS. WVitnesses:

W. E. HARTMAN, LILLIAN D. HARTMAN. 

